Specially designed bottom plate maximizes suction and water channeling into vacuum chamber.  The extraction plate grid and vacuum manifold have been scientifically designed to multiply and enhance your sub-surface flood lifting capabilities in the same way a pulley system multiplies and increases weight lifting ability.

Typical Sub-Surface extraction speed per tool size:

• DO NOT extract water from face fibers before using the WATER CLAW.

• DO NOT overlap placement of the tool.

• DO NOT over-extract per tool placement. The WATER CLAW when placed on saturated carpet and pad will draw water from several inches to several feet beyond itself, making your next placement of the WATER CLAW less effective in the surrounding area.

Sub-surface extraction offers little or no advantage in water extraction where there is no pad/underlay under the carpet.

Sub-Surface extraction alone will not dry out a flooded carpet, pad and structure. The professional flood restoration technician must follow up with the proper use of air movers, dehumidifiers etc.

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Other variables in sub-surface extraction performance are:

• Extra Extraction time per placement without over-extracting.
     (See What Not To Do)

• Enhanced seal between tool and carpet 
     (by adding pressure,  weight or using a smaller sized tool)

• Multiple passes over the same area from different directions
     (See Criss Cross Method)

This process is surprisingly fast and easy.

After the Sub-Surface extraction process has been performed, a small amount of water can sometimes be left on the face fibers. If so, the operator can more quickly and efficiently extract this moisture (after the Sub-Surface extraction process has been performed) with a typical wand to further reduce drying time.

After a few passes of sub-surface extraction, inspect the pad. If a second pass is required, proceed in the following manner. 

1. First, finish extraction of the room in one direction (i.e. north and south as illustrated in diagram A). 

2. Next go to the original starting point and proceed cross-ways of the original path (i.e. east and west, as illustrated in diagram B).

This is called the criss-cross method and is much more effective than a second pass in the same direction or leaving in position each placement of the tool for long periods of time.

If water is present in the pad only, the WATER CLAW can be used in one of three ways:

• Pull the carpet back and extract the pad directly.

• Saturate the face fibers with a hose or buckets of water; this will raise the water level up through the face fibers to better facilitate Sub-Surface extraction.

• Water can be drawn out of the pad through a dry carpet with proper tool size and vacuum power. The operator can confirm this by testing a small area before proceeding.

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The WATER CLAW Sub-Surface Spot Lifter works on the same principle as our flood tools, but can perform Sub-Surface spot removal with any wet vacuum source, including a truck mount, portable, or wet dry mini-extractor. Standard hose adapter accepts 2 and 1-1/2 hose cuffs.

The basic rule of Sub-Surface spot removal is: any contaminants in carpet and/or pad that can be suspended in a liquid can be extracted out with the WATER CLAW.

Whatever amount of water is introduced to the carpet and pad after limited dwell time can be quickly drawn back out again with the WATER CLAW and typically dry out completely overnight.

Be sure the area under the spot lifter is saturated through both carpet and pad.  The tool can be picked up and repositioned, or slowly dragged across the saturated area. 

The WATER CLAW Sub-Surface Spot Lifter literally flushes contaminants from carpet face fibers, backing and pad. Amazing results can be achieved on a variety of spotting problems when combined with the professional technician s knowledge of spotting solutions, for example:

• Soda pop: saturate with hot water then apply the CLAW.

• Oils: saturate with a dilution of your favorite degreasing cleaner, WATER CLAW. Then saturate with a rinsing agent to remove cleaner residue and WATER CLAW the area again.

• Soap residue: saturate with a mixture of cold water and defoamer, then WATER CLAW it.

• Pet urine: saturate with your favorite urine liquefier. Allow a small amount of dwell time, followed by the Claw. (Repeat this step as needed.) Then saturate with your favorite urine deodorizer for your final flush and Clawing. (Some single chemicals perform well for both purposes).

• Wicking problems: wicking problems of all kinds can be flushed out with the proper spotting dilutions or even straight water, as determined by the technician.

Total square footage and the degree of difficulty in extracting different grades of carpet and pad. (Both factors will impact your most valuable resource - time, so charge accordingly.)

Any revenues lost for not charging for tearing up and replacing pad and/or carpet should be recaptured in rental fees on additional air movers and dehumidifiers plus extra charges for sub-surface extraction. By attending one of the recommended advanced drying classes you will learn new methods of utilizing your equipment; virtually eliminating the need to pull carpet and pad, float the carpet or move out furniture, as well as reducing man hours spent on the job, and ultimately drying the complete structure, including carpet and pad, in three days or less.  Learning these new drying methods will contribute to maintaining or increasing your profit margins and make your job easier.

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The most successful technicians will also provide their customers with a guarantee of complete odor elimination explaining that in some cases, urine contamination can be so extreme that replacement of carpet, pad, and tack strip, as well as treatment of walls and floor are necessary. In these cases the technician will credit the customer the cost of the first process to this second or next level of service, or simply provide the customer a full refund. However when the WATER CLAW is used properly with the right or best chemicals, failure of the WATER CLAW process will be rare. It won t take long before your expertise and confidence in sub-surface extraction increases as will your over-all profits.